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PERRY TWP. — Luke Wolf felt a lot like Luke Maye last week at Perry High School.
When you hit a big shot to win your school's basketball team a big game, you don't go unnoticed.
Maye is a former North Carolina player who hit a winning jumper with three-tenths of a second left to beat Kentucky in the 2017 NCAA Tournament. A video of Maye getting a standing ovation at an 8 a.m. class the next day went viral on social media.
Wolf became the Panthers' savior when he hit an off-balance 3-pointer as time ran out to beat Warren Harding in a Division II regional semifinal. It extended a season that will continue Sunday when Perry faces North Royalton in a state semifinal at Memorial Field House.
So what was it like for Wolf at school the next day?
"Going through the hallways, teachers left and right were just saying 'Congratulations, that was an awesome shot. You deserve it. You put in the work,'" Wolf said. "Peers, friends, anyone who saw me in the hallway was just shouting me out, saying it was a great opportunity and a great moment."
Wolf has had multiple opportunities to produce great moments during Perry's run to the final four. The winning prayer against Harding came five days after he hit three free throws to beat Solon in a district final. He was fouled on a 3-point attempt with three-tenths of a second left.
In clutch time, Wolf has been nothing but clutch.
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"Knowing that they trusted me just gave me even more confidence to knock down those free throws," Wolf said. "The same thing happened (against Harding). When we drew up the play, it boosted my confidence again. It led to great memories."
Wolf has shouldered a big load for the Panthers this season. He averages a team-leading 17.3 points a game. He also leads Perry in 3-pointer made, free throw percentage, rebounds, blocks, steals and assists.
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With point guard Mike Haley out due to appendecitis, Wolf also has had to shift gears and become the Panthers' ball handler.
"One of the things I needed to work on going into the season was my ball handling," Wolf said. "I worked on that a lot in the summer and into the fall. I came prepared to play point guard. I had it in the back of my mind that I might have to play point guard this year, but Mikey came along really well.
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"When he went down, I was able to step into that role right away. I embraced it."
No last-second heroics were needed in Perry's 57-43 regional final win over Shaker Heights. Wolf did not have to shoulder the load himself. A collective effort lifted the Panthers to their first final four since 1991.
Drake Jacobsen led the way with 20 points. Wolf finished with a double-double of 10 points and 12 rebounds. Darnell McLeod also scored 10 points. Preston Dazey had eight points and nine rebounds.
"Everyone stepped up in that game," Wolf said. " ... Drake had a huge game. He scored the ball really well. He's capable of that in any game.
"When I'm not having a big night, I have to find guys like Drake, Preston, Darnell and Nico (Martelli). I have to find them shots they know and I know they can hit.
"We're going to need that again Sunday if we're going to come out with a win."
Reach Mike at [email protected]
On X: @mpopovichREP
This article originally appeared on The Repository: Perry basketball's Luke Wolf is Mr. Clutch in OHSAA tournament
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